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Rumors archived
from 2001--use the links below for other archives . . .
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The new Xenon gruppo
features a simplified Ergopower mechanism--few parts than
current gruppos. |
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The Xenon rear
derailleur is almost a Record lookalike, with a black
composite body. |
- September 17, 2001--Hold the
phone! Our earlier estimated price for the carbon crankset
may be way off--one source reports a price closer to $700.
Check back--we're looking into this. Also today--news
of the carbon crankset has broken on the official website at www.campagnolo.com
Click
here for an excerpt from Campagnolo's official information.
- September 13, 2001--Unofficial
sources put the projected price of the carbon crankset at
about $300. We're still looking at availability in November.
 September
11, 2001--Record Carbon Cranks! Campagnolo has
done it again--they snuck 10-speed onto market, and now they have
chosen the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, to unveil the long-rumored carbon
crankset. Early information says that the carbon
crankset is about 135 grams lighter than the standard alloy
version. Look for Campagnolo to start shipping the cranks in
October; they should be in stores in November. Watch for
more information as it becomes available. - September 7, 2001--Is Hyperon
heavier than Neutron? Well, if you're talking about
the real subatomic particles, that's the case. Reader Peter
McClennan points out that hyperons (a subatomic particle) are
heavier than Neutrons. He sends this definition:
Subatomic Particle: Any
particle of less than atomic mass, e.g., the electron, proton, and
neutron, also called atomic particle. Subatomic
particles are classified by relative mass into four groups:
leptons, mesons, nucleons, and hyperons, from lowest to highest
masses, respectively.
Campagnolo apparently didn't check their physics textbooks
before assigning the new name, which may also explain why Electron
wheels were heavier than Protons, even though real
electrons are lighter . . . To read more about Hyperons, click
here.
- September 4, 2001--Reports
from the recent Eurobike show in Friedrichshafen, Germany,
confirm what we've already reported--there's not much new for
Campagnolo in 2002. The few new items include the Hyperon
all-carbon wheelset (shown at right) and a new Record triple
crankset. The latter item finally provides a
Record-level triple crankset--a "Record Triple" crankset
offered in years past was actually an Athena crankset.
 
Photos above: Hyperon hum, spokes, and rim are made of
carbon fiber. |
Photo above: Record triple crankset. |
One attendee at the Eurobike show
asked the German-speaking representative how much the new Hyperon
wheelset would cost. The reply--"Es wird teuer"
("It's gonna be expensive").
- August 24, 2001--Here
is what we've heard about Campagnolo's wheels for 2002:
(model name # spokes front/# spokes
rear)
Hyperon 22f/24r - tubular only
Neutron 22f/24r - tubular and clincher
Eurus 16f/21r - clincher only?
Zonda 18f/21r - clincher only
All models for 2002 have a ShimaNO
compatible rear wheel version. Tubluars are slightly more
expensive than the comparable clincher version. Looks like
the Shamal, Nucleon, and Electron are all gone for 2002. So, the
2002 line up may be:
Bora - still around as the aero
carbon wheel?
Eurus - not low end as in '97/'98?
Zonda - will it never reach production as in '98?
Hyperon - new carbon rim climb dynamic wheel?
Neutron - replacement for Nucleon or Electron?
Proton - featuring the new Centaur hub?
Thanks to Gravity B. for this rumor
. . .
- August 15, 2001--What's
coming for 2002? A reader in the Netherlands sends
this list of new stuff, per the French magazine, Le Cycle:
Look for new wheel designs,
including the carbon-rimmed and -hubbed Hyperon, as well as
a new Rolf-like spoke pattern for the fluid dynamic wheels with
only half as many spokes on the left side as on the right side of
the rear wheel, bringing the weight down to climb-dynamic figures.
Campy's Shamal wheels will not be offered in 2002.
Not much news as for the groupsets except from the appearance of a
Record Triple set (question: will it really be a
Record-quality crank?), and the design of all Record Triple parts
derived from the 2001 Record parts: 111mm bottom bracket, long
cage derailleur, 3 x 10 compatiblee. (No carbon cranks so
far.) For next year, Campy also adds a new economy gruppo below
Mirage, called Xenon (a name formerly used for a
budget-priced Campy gruppo in the early '90s). Daytona, of
course, will be renamed Centaur, as reported here earlier.
- August 13, 2001--Campagnolo
has added another clothing manufacturer to its list of exclusive
licensees. According to their official press
release, Pace
Sportswear of Huntington Beach, California, has been licensed
by Campagnolo to be the exclusive manufacturer of cycling caps and
skullcaps for the 2001-2002 season. Caps will be offered in
five styles; skullcaps in two styles. Click
here to see them on Branford Bike's web site (Branford Bike is
a Campy Only sponsor). Still no sign of a licensed
maker of T-shirts or headbands . . .
- August 3, 2001--Is ShimaNO
planning to play catch-up? We're hearing that the 2002 Dura
Ace gruppo will feature carbon cranks, seatpost, levers, and
derailleur, and will come in 10-speed.
- August 2, 2001--From the
"give credit where credit is due" department comes this
reprinted email release from ShimaNO, who had a, well, fantastic
year at the 2001 Tour de France. Only one major prize--Erik
Zabel's green jersey--was won on a Campy-equipped bike.
Perhaps it was because several major Campy-using Italian teams (Mercatone
Uno and Saeco/Cannondale come to mind) were excluded from the tour
in favor of ShimaNO-using French squads, but it was hard to find
much to crow about at this year's tour. Here is ShimaNO's
release:
"¶Tour de France 2001 is over now, rest-time has come now for the 144 heroes
who managed to reach the Champs-Elysées.
¶Time also for Shimano to congratulate them all for this great performance.
Out of those 144 racers, Shimano equipped riders have managed to win 16 out
of the 20 stages + Prologue.
¶Of course, Lance Armstrong (Team US Postal Services) deserves our
particular congratulations for his third victory in a row. He was simply
umbeatable all over the Tour, showing an ability to control the race as
well as placing attacks at the perfect time.
¶We are also proud to greet Laurent Jalabert (Team
CSC-Tiscali). His Shimano SPD-R pedals and carbon fiber Dura-Ace wheels brought him to the King of
Mountain jersey, unpredictable title for a non-mountain specialist, he
collected in Paris the Combativity title as well.
¶As last year, Team Kelme gained the Team title and their rider Oscar
Sevilla won the best young White jersey, the whole team was on Shimano
wheels and componentry.
¶Finally, we would like also to congratulate Erik Zabel (Team
Telekom), who
managed to win the Green Jersey for the 6th time in a row. Erik snapped
this Green jersey to Australian Stuart O'Grady (Team
Crédit-Agricole), whom
was riding full Dura-Ace including WH-7700 wheels.
¶Why did the Official Tour de France guide spoke about "war of the shifters"...
¶For your records, overall 6 stages were won on Shimano
Dura-Ace wheels
and/or SPD-R pedals."
- July 23, 2001--Tour de France
news from one of our readers: "Tyler Hamilton wrote in his
VeloNews diary regarding Stage 13 of Le Tour: "For the second
time, the derailleur on my climbing broke. There's nothing you can
do in a situation like this except stop. It's not like having a
flat where you can keep rolling." Maybe Tyler's
team will use Campy-equipped bikes next year?
- July 12, 2001--More on carbon
wheels, this time in an article from the industry publication Bicycle
Retailer: Campagnolo Flattens Carbon Spokes
VICENZA, Italy—Road wheels increasingly use fewer spokes to save
weight and flatter spokes to cheat the air. Campagnolo has
developed the concept one step further by patenting a flat carbon
fiber spoke design. ) Campy claims that carbon spokes of its
patented design, number 6,036,279, can shave 100 grams (3.57
ounces) from current race level wheels. Spinergy uses co-molded
carbon spokes and the EDO design of a few years ago using flat
carbon spokes with round metal J and threaded ends. Campy goes
somewhere in between with a replaceable spoke design that can use
one head for two spokes. The rim end of the spoke is wider than
the middle of the spoke in order to take a threaded spoke end. A
traditional nipple tensions the wheel. The patent shows a variety
of spoke head designs adaptable to a variety of lacing patterns.
Just for the record, we note that Campy Only published news of
Campagnolo's new carbon spoke design on January 1 . . . click
here to see our report.
- June 30, 2001--The Danish web
site www.bikebuster.dk
is reporting that Campagnolo will release a new carbon-rimmed
wheelset next year. Dubbed Hyperon, the wheels will
weigh a total of 1200 grams for a set--about 340 grams less than
Campagnolo's current lightest wheelset (Nucleon tubulars).
Also look for the replacement of Shamal wheels with Eurus.
Also confirmed on the web site is the news that Daytona
will become Centaur next year (see our June 6 report)
- June 19, 2001--Ok, OK, OK!!
The photo of the "carbon crank" below has drawn a lot of
reader response. Several readers have pointed out that the
photo (below) is from the Schwab Cycles catalog (yeah, we already
knew that), and that the cranks are perhaps an anodized set of
Record cranks. It has also been suggested that the photo is
several years old and may even show an early-90s
"Century" finish crankset. So . . . We're ready to
admit that the photo may not show a set of Campagnolo
carbon cranks. We published it just to keep the flame
burning over at the carbon crank shrine. And while that
flame burns, we're still on the lookout for news of carbon cranks
. . .
- June 18, 2001--Broken track
hubs? Here's how Branford Bike (a Campy Only sponsor)
is responding to concerned users of Campagnolo's track gruppo:
"¶We received an email
from the unlucky track hub owner and were more than a little
surprised. We believe that there is more to the story
though. We have never seen Campy hubs fail catastrophically except
when involved in a serious collision.
¶As
of June 15th, 2001 we have not had any other reports of Campagnolo
track hub problems. We know many riders that use them for road
fixed gear training too. As of now we believe there is no reason
for Campy Track hub owners to be concerned.
¶Thanks,Tim
Brockett at Branford Bike"
 June
15, 2001--OK, let's hop on the Campy Carbon Crank
bandwagon again--this time with a photo from the web (courtesy of
reader Craig S.) that may show a Campagnolo-logoed carbon
crank. Says Craig, "maybe another step towards the
carbon crank becoming a reality" - June 13, 2001--Are you using
Campagnolo track hubs on the road for your fixed-gear
bicycle? If you are, don't expect warranty support if you
hub breaks. Click
here for detailed information from Sheldon Brown's web site
- June 6, 2001--And still more Giro
news from Peter:
".....and so it goes on.....on stage 6 it is reported that
Rik Verbrugge's ShimaNO equipped GT bike had TWO chains break......must
be those fiddly pins they use!! "
- June 6, 2001--News from the Giro
d'Italia . . . Reader Peter
Young recounts this incident from Stage 4:
"It was Giro D'Italia Stage 4. On the
last climb to Montevergine the Mexican Rider Julio Perez
Cuapio has a solo lead of about 15 seconds over the leading group.
Suddenly on a hairpin bend the chain breaks on his ShimaNO
equipped Tem Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo Battaglin Bicycle.
He throws the bike into the Armco Barrier and in tears watches the
leading group go onto the finish!!........Yes it really
happened....I saw it live on TV"
- June 6, 2001--And the new
name for the Daytona gruppo is . . . Centaur?
We had heard (see our May 10 rumor)
that Campagnolo might choose this name, which last graced a former
MTB gruppo in the early 90s. We joked that they would use the
large stock of "centaur"-printed cardboard boxes that
may be sitting around in a warehouse in Vicenza . . . Anyway,
Bianchi is showing a new bike on their web site, the "SL/AL
Centaur" which is built up with . . . "Campagnolo
Centaur 10-speed". Click
here to visit Bianchi's SL/AL Centaur site (One sharp-eyed
reader pointed out that the hyperlink still refers to
"Daytona")
- May 30, 2001--More Campagnolo
clothing news . . . Industry sources report that all
Campagnolo clothing sold in the US will come through one company,
Illinois-based Ochsner International Inc., a well-known
importer of cycling products (including Campagnolo
components). Ochsner has established a limit of 100
retailers in the US, and each retailer will be required to charge
the suggested retail price for the clothing--if they sell for
less, they will be dropped from the list. Holding the line
on price is not unusual in the bicycle industry (Mavic has tried
to keep the prices of its rims and wheels the same nationwide for
years), so Ochsner's move it not unheard of. It still
doesn't bode well for anyone who can't shell out $125 for a
jersey.
 May
24, 2001--Just when you thought it was time to put those Record
carbon crank rumors to rest, along comes . . a Campagnolo carbon
crankset? The image
at right is floating around the internet, offering a "Campagnolo-compatible" carbon crankset.
Despite the Campagnolo logo, this is not a Record crankset! 
Updated 5-30-01: The US distributor for these cranks wrote
to ask that we clarify that his product is compatible with
Campagnolo's 135mm bolt circle. He also points out this his
cranks come with a lifetime warranty (Campy offers 3 years on
theirs) and a 20% increase in
stiffness and 50-gram weight reduction compared to Record
cranks. He says he has sold more than 400 cranksets thus far
without a single problem. For more information on these cranks, email carbonLORD@hotmail.com
We have asked for a set to road test--watch this site for
more information. - May 24, 2001--Could the
upcoming Campagnolo-logoed clothing debacle get any
worse? Well, sources tell us that retailers who want to sell
Campy clothing will be prohibited from offering sale prices or
discounts. You'll be paying full price for everything with a
Campy logo on it--no deals no anything, or the retailer will lose
the ability to get more stock in the future. Just one of the
effects of having a single source . . .
- May 11, 2001--One industry
source reports that clothing with a Campagnolo logo on it outsells
similar clothing with a Shimano logo by at least 10 to 1.
Guess those ShimaNO riders just aren't that proud of what they're
riding! (Maybe this explains the guys on ShimaNO-equipped
bikes who wear Campagnolo jerseys . . . )
- May 10, 2001--Goodbye
Daytona! No, Campagnolo is not discontinuing the
well-received gruppo, but sources report that trademark problems
have forced them to stop using the Daytona name, which is
trademarked by someone else (see our item below for more
trademark-related news). No news on how Campagnolo could
have invested so much in the Daytona name without checking
ownership of it first . . . A new name for Daytona? One
suggestion being floated is "Centaur," the name of one
of Campagnolo's off-road gruppos from the 1990s.
Centaur never sold well, leading one source to suggest that the
company may have a good supply of empty boxes with the name on
them that can be recycled . . .
 May 4, 2001--If
you want a jersey, T-shirt, headband, etc., with the Campagnolo
trademark on it, better buy it quick.
Sources report that Campagnolo has ended its licensing
agreements with a number of clothing manufacturers (Pace, Kucharik,
etc.) who now make these items.
Instead, Campagnolo
has given an exclusive license for the use of the Campagnolo name
and trademarks to Abacus
2000, the Italian cycling clothing maker which is
manufacturing Campagnolo's own clothing line (see our April 20,
2001 rumor). In a
further move, Campagnolo has informed its existing licensees to
stop selling any merchandise with the Campagnolo trademark as of
July 1, 2001. That
means that if you want to buy Campagnolo-logoed clothing (legally,
anyway), you will need to do it soon--or wait for Abacus 2000
(which has very little presence in the US) to manufacture and
market their own clothing (their web site currently lists only one
distributor in the US--Ochsner International, a wholesaler who
sells to retail shops). What
effect will this have on us, the riders?
Well, Abacus 2000 will have an exclusive license, which
doesn't bode well for price competition--there simply won't be
any. And if you don't
like their fabric, or fit, or styles, you'll be out of luck.
Your other alternative, of course, will be to buy bootleg
or illegal merchandise or to purchase Campagnolo's own clothing
line (at $125 per jersey--see our earlier rumor below). To buy
Campy-logo tees and gifts from Branford Bike, click
here. (Branford Bike is a Campy Only sponsor)- April 20, 2001--Wonder why it
has taken so long for Campagnolo's clothing line to reach
stores in the U.S.? Well, rumor has it that every single
jersey shipped to distributors in the U.S. was defective
and had to be sent back to Italy. At $125 apiece, it's a
good thing they're making sure each is perfect before you buy it .
. .
 April
17, 2001--Spanish rider Melchior Mauri is scheduled to
make a run at the hour record in May--aboard a
Campy-equipped track bike that took framebuilder Gios a
total of 20 days to make. The photo at right shows Mauri
test-riding the bicycle on the velodrome at Montroig. For a
complete report (in Spanish), go to http://ciclismo.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=1246&p=2&stid=8104325
(For an English translation, go to http://babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn
and enter this URL). Thanks to reader Rúben
Carro for submitting this item. April
13, 2001--Ouch! Campagnolo's clothing line is
finally available to buy, but you'll pay dearly to have your
jersey and shorts match your Campy-equipped bike. Would you
believe $125 for a jersey? How about $135 for
a pair of shorts? That's what they're listing these clothes
for at www.velogear.com .
. . (click on the photo for an excerpt from their
Spring/Summer catalog. - April 8, 2001--Not a rumor,
but a word to the wise: When ordering Campagnolo wheels,
make sure you get what you're asking for. We recently
ordered a set of Electrons, and would have received last year's
model (not the updated 201 version) had Branford Bike not
checked. As it was, we had to go on a waiting list--the 2001
versions are zooming out of distributors' warehouses as soon as
they come in.
- April 8, 2001--Branford
Bike reports that they finally have a surplus of ErgoBrain
computers in stock. The EB has been in short supply since
its introduction, but Cateye (the Japanese manufacturer of the EB
unit) seems to have finally produced enough to keep them on
dealers' shelves.
- March 23, 2001--It's no
rumor--Campagnolo has released a complete set of cams to change
almost any Ergo lever from 8 to 9 to 10 speed
functionality. Click here
for more information.
 March
8, 2001--From a fan in Italy, here is the new 350mm carbon
seatpost, and the new seatpost clamp, which has an
advertised weight of just 21 grams. March
8, 2001--Here are the best photos yet of the "Record"
carbon crank, which in fact bears the name of Italian bicycle
manufacturer Bianchi. Reader Robert Thomas has
actually ridden one of these cranksets--here are his comments:
I tried a pair of carbon cranks last year with my Campy 10 speed set up and
found the spider to flex too much to work properly with the narrow ten speed
derailleur. Also the cranks put the feet wider apart and I did not like that,
I sent them back. They had the same type of spider as the photo, with five
bolts points on five spider arms. I like the 4 and one on the crank arm
myself, like the 10 speed cranks from Campy. The carbon cranks I tried are
not the same as photo, just generically similar.
 I don't know if there Campy or not, but doubt it, Bianchi says it's their
cranks. Many different brands and parts can be made by someone else with
different labels stuck on them. I don't read Italian very well so who knows.
Around 350 grams as far as I can tell, with maybe another 140 grams of so
with chain rings and spider, my reading goes to hell in this part. Maybe the
Pedals are 140 grams or so each and the complete crank with rings is 350
grams, or more likely the cranks are 350 grams without rings but with
spider, not sure? Looks like they may have an Titanium inner with Ergal
connections and of course the carbon outside, or the pedals have a Titanium
axle and Ergal outside.- February 28, 2001--Rumors to
the contrary, Campagnolo's official web site (www.campagnolo.com)
is still up and operational. One reader wrote to tell us
that the web site was gone, but last time we checked it's still
there . .
 February
13, 2001--We received several Email tips about a photo on the www.cyclingnews.com
website on Feb. 12 that could (maybe) show the elusive Record
carbon crankset. The photo (at right) shows Marco
Pantani, his Bianchi, and team manager Felice Gimondi at the
unveiling of the Mercatone Uno cycling team. Unfortunately,
the photo is on the small side, but we've enlarged the crankset to
get a closer view (photo below) .
Is there really a Record carbon crankset, or is this Bianchi's own
version? You be the judge . . . Click on either image for
a larger version.- February 8, 2001--It's
official--Campagnolo will be introducing a 350mm version of the
Record Carbon seatpost, aimed at the niche market for
sloping-top-tube frames. Also coming is a new seatpost clamp
that addresses the overstressing of the carbon post (see our
earlier rumor reports from 2000).
 January
1, 2001--The new year finds the Campy Only Rumor Crew surfing
the U.S. Patent Office's web site, looking for anything "Campagnolo."
Campagnolo recently patented the core of the ErgoBrain
computer, the ability to display the selected cog on the
computer's display--click
here to read their patent description (U.S. Patent
#6142281). Interestingly, Campagnolo filed a separate patent
for the same idea on the front derailleur (U.S. Patent
#6132327). What else is new? How about a new composite
spoke? (U.S. Patent #06036279)
You could see these on the road on Campy's top-of-the-line wheels,
or you can click on the image at right to see it now--> Click
here to read the entire patent description.
Earlier rumors are archived below:
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October 24, 2001--One
reader, 
